


Life Sentence (Egobang)

by AestheticChop



Category: Game Grumps
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Prison, Angst, Blood and Injury, Drug Addiction, Drug Use, Drug Withdrawal, Fist Fights, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Original Character(s), Prison, Relationship(s), Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-11
Updated: 2020-01-26
Packaged: 2020-12-12 05:23:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20993867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AestheticChop/pseuds/AestheticChop
Summary: Arin is a troubled Chainsmoker who struggles with living a normal life due to his traumatic past and manipulating friend, one day he loses himself and ends up getting arrested. Dan is a Rowdy Party-Animal who gets too involved with a past mistake, a fight goes awry and he ends up in jail. The two meet in their cell and things start to lead to another.





	1. You have the right to remain silent.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my story from wattpad, I decided to upload it here as well for the people who don't use WP, some features will be left out but I will make it work.
> 
> Enjoy the show.

[Rated MA, This chapter includes Violence, Adult Language, and Use Of Alcohol, Blood] 

Act One: Birthday  
January 6th 2017

  
The music was blaring loudly in the nightclub, the lights were bright and moving erratically around the building, loud conversations over the music were almost everywhere. A small group of friends were gathered near the back of the club, taking sips from shot classes as they laughed hysterically, one man stood out from all of them.

His name was Arin, wearing sunglasses and sporting a thin but scruffy beard and brown hair, with a light blonde stripe going through it. He was wearing a grey shirt with black jeans, with a glass full of liqueur and three friends surrounding him on a couch. Cards scattered across the table in front of them, the man seemed to be having a fun time with friends while drinking and playing poker, but he had a blank look on his face.

He looked uncomfortable, his palm clenching the side of his hair in a silent rage, the music was too loud and he was drunk, ears ringing and the music encouraging it more. Downing his shot glass full of the bitter liquid he couldn't remember the name of, tossing the glass on the table. His friends cheered, Arin scoffed.

"That's like your eighth shot, something tells me you wanna black out for your birthday tonight" A friend next to Arin had to yell over the music, he had a thick beard and short hair, Arin couldn't remember his name but only knew who he was from his voice. He barely even remembered tonight was _his _birthday, which is why they're at a nightclub getting wasted and playing cards, but everything was starting to get blurry.

"Get me a-another" Arin spoke in stutters with his tongue getting tied in his mouth, his vision was showing eight people on the couch around him, his back pressed up against the cushion with exhaustion, the sunglasses he had on was hiding the fact he looked like he was losing his mind, one step away from passing out.

The DJ started to speak over the microphone, the feedback sending shockwaves into Arin's ears, he cringed and looked around puzzled, his body leaning over to one of his friends for support. He could hear them asking if he was alright but didn't know how to respond.

"Can you give me a second? I-I need some air" Arin slurred and mumbled as he stood up, instantly charging to the doors without even hearing his friends opinions, he wasn't much of a drinker. His friends knowing he only drank once or twice throughout his life, and today he's wasted on different kinds of hard liquor cause it was his birthday, but now he can't even walk straight, the poor thing.

Bumping into a few walls, he found himself outside of the loud and irritating nightclub, leaning his back against the wall outside. The cold breeze made the poor drunken fool shiver, his hand traveling inside his right pocket and retrieving his phone. A scowl shifting onto his face as his tired eyes scrolled across test messages.

"_When are you getting here?" _**Read.**  
_"Hello?? It's late!" _**_Read_**_._  
"_Do you not care?? You promised you'd be here for me! Like a good friend should_" _**Read.**_

_"Fuck.." _Arin let a quick swear slip out of his mouth, the air was cold and he didn't wanna wait here anymore. His fingers rushing to send another text, hoping no one was gonna try and bring him back into the club, this was more important to him than some stupid party.

"_Either you're getting here in the next five minutes or I'm banning you from __fucking__ stepping foot here"_ sent at 10:30 pm.

**Read.**

Arin let out a growl of anger, having enough of this and decided to call this contact, he was seething at this point and didn't wanna take anymore time outside, his lips craving a cigarette between them, his lungs needing the toxic air to flood into them, but not now.

The phone rang one, two, three, four, sent to voicemail. Arin saw this as a perfect opportunity to cuss out this man with all of his might and rage. His fingers clenched into a fist instinctively, wishing he could see this man and punch his lights out.

"_Listen to me, you asshole. I don't know where or what you got into, but god forbid I see you tonight, I will knock you out in this __damn__ parking lot. this is the last straw_" Arin didn't yell but he talked through gritted teeth, his drunken slur coming out now even more. His finger pressed the end call button and leaned his back against the wall again. Craving nicotine got too hard to ignore, sighing out and going through his pockets again.

This has been a habit for quite some time now, stress from everything going on in his life pushed him over the edge, needing something to get rid of the demons in his head. Fingers wrapped around a red and white box, temptation overflowing, not wanting his friends to come out and see him. Deciding to sit on the ground after standing became too much.

Dread starting to seep through, letting his fingers slip a stick of nicotine into the corner of his lips, grabbing his lighter and lighting it up, the wind passing by him encouraging a shiver to slip out. Inhaling the toxic fume and exhaling after a long pause, it entered his system and already calmed tense nerves. His eyes went back down to his phone, no text messages or picked up calls, Arin wanted to give up at this point but decided to give it another few minutes.

He watched the cars pass by with a lost look in his eyes, the drunken birthday boy spending his hour outside smoking and waiting for a supposed friend to come join their party, but this has been like a broken record the last few weeks.

The phone beeped loudly, making Arin almost burn his finger, letting out a pained groan for a second before returning the stick back to his lips, checking the message and feeling the dress return to his bloodstream.

"**Come to the other side of the parking lot" **Recieved at 10:40 PM.

Arin shivered and stood up shakingly, almost tripping on his own feet once remembering he was still wasted. Keeping the nicotine stick in his mouth and putting his phone safe in his pocket, walking over the side of the parking lot he could see a certain car parked. Chills spreading throughout his spine once realizing the conversation he was about to have.

Leaning up against the side of the medium-sized gray Corolla, he kept the cigarette in his mouth and took in a deep inhale, crossing his arms and looking straight through the side window, meeting eyes with his supposed "friend"

"Care to tell me where you were?" Arin questioned with smoke coming out his mouth, making sure to blow it in the man's general direction as added punishment, his drunkenness made it hard to stand and talk but it was hard to notice in his own brain at this point.

"Since when did you smoke?" The man either avoided the question or replaced it with his own question, Arin scoffed and continue to inhale the toxic fumes, secretly loving that it was starting to annoy this man. Leaning his arm half way on the side of the car to keep his balance.

"Well I gotta stay stress free somehow when I have to deal with you everyday" Arin had a sarcastic undertone now, clever drunken fool. He cleared his throat and began to speak again.

"Barry, I don't really care anymore what the hell you do, just.." He paused, inhaling and exhaling from the cigarette once more, feeling a little lightheaded at that point.

"Are you coming with us or not? Ross would be happy to see you" Arin almost negotiated there, Barry had a thinking face on. Letting out a hum as he thought for a moment, seeing the drunk and exhausted look on Arin's face.

"Thought you said you didn't want me there"

_Fuck_ _._

Arin thought up to himself, stumbling a few times before turning his attention back to Barry, wanting to take that stupid smirk off of his face, it always made him feel manipulated every time.

"You have no idea how much I wanna slap that smile off your face" Arin growled out instinctively, his filter coming off since the booze hit his system a long time ago. Barry laughed at the drunk man, coughing a little from the smoke getting in his car.

"I don't think you'd wanna do that, _would you?"_

_Asshole_ _.._ _ You make me feel so vulnerable.._

Arin shook his head, tossing his cigarette butt onto the ground and stomping on it, huffing and puffing once doing so. The world was spinning but he tried to keep his balance to hold the conversation as much as it angered him to the core.

"Then what was the point of coming all this way?!" Arin let out a yell this time, the poor drunk was getting angry with Barry now, clenching his fist hard enough to turn his knuckles white, taking a lot of temptation to not punch in his window.

"Huh, I guess you're right, Arin" Barry had that snarky look again, slipping his keys back onto the ignition, Arin's anger starting to rise through the roof, raising his fist about to lean through the window and punch him. But getting a dizzy spout and tripping over his own feet, landing on the hard concrete with a loud thud and a drawn out groan.

"Have a good birthday, Arin" Barry said one last time before the engine revved, the car driving out of the lot and leaving Arin alone on the cold, hard concrete of the parking lot. He laid there on his back and staring at the sky, starting to feel something wet on his side, wincing. Coughing heavily and letting out a sigh. Not even remembering his friends were waiting on him to return.

_He's such an __asshole__, why am I still letting him drag me along?_ Arin seemed to shrug at his own thought, moving over onto on his side, for some reason wanting to get comfortable on the ground instead of getting up and going back to the lounge.

_The guys are waiting for me, I should get back to- I feel like I need to throw up._

Arin was curled up on the floor now, taking small movements to stand up, once his legs was up off the ground it took a few wobbly seconds. Violently gagging for a second before regathering his composure, walking back slowly the nightclubs doors. His head started to ache once heading the familiar loud music blaring.

Once inside the club it felt like hell slapped him right back in the face, ignoring everything and just focusing on where his lounge was, catching his friends looking at him from the couch with a confused look. It probably didn't help he still smelled like the cigarette he smoked out.

"Jesus Christ, where were you??" Ross was the first to speak, Matt and Ryan sitting next to him playing poker quietly, Arin looked like he'd been through hell and smelt like smoke.

Arin didn't speak, only laying on the couch and slowly losing his vision, the room spinning like a earthquake and hit the building, everything fading to black like an old 60s television. He let out a mumbled groan and took a breath.

Blackout.

That poor drunken fool.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Act Two: _Hangover._

_ **Eyes On Fire- Blue Foundation ** _ ** _(song of choice for chapter)_ **

Arin awoke from his deep slumber in his apartments bed, sheets placed firmly over his body to keep him from getting cold, it was bright and it was obviously turning morning. He groaned and covered his face with the covers, not wanting to leave this room.

_God, my head hurts, my side hurts, I think I hurt myself last night._

Arin had to try and remember all of the things that happened, his side was throbbing and killing him and didn't remember why, but then it all seemed to click together like a puzzle. Barry.

He slipped and fell onto the cement from a dizzy, drunk misstep. He had most likely sliced himself accidentally on the curb or the roughness of the pavement, letting out a groan as he turned over rolling up in the blanket. Now realizing his pants were slightly ripped, feeling the air hit him through the blankets.

A shiver escaped his mouth quickly, everything was blurry and his body ached, making the man not wanna even leave his mattress, but he at least reached over to grab his phone, seeing a few text messages awaiting him in the inbox.

**"We took you back home so you can sleep, not sure what got into you but hope you're feeling better by morning" **was from Matt and Ryan, Arin felt bad for making them take his sorry ass all the way back to the apartment during a party, but then again it wasn't his fault a random black out happened.

"_**Did Barry talk to you?**_ From Ross, Arin's blood went cold once reading it, everything suddenly came back to memory once seeing it come from Ross instead of his own mouth. He almost _punched _Barry yesterday if he didn't get dizzy and fall. He could've started some major shit if he hadn't missed.

_**"**__Call me" _was all Arin texted, forcing his tired and pained body to get up and off the bed, causing a large stint in his side, making him wince. He took his phone with him and went over to the bathroom, expecting the phone to ring at some point, but going to check and see if there's a wound in the mean time.

Looking over in the mirror and almost scaring himself, a small side of his shirt was dyed a dark red crimson, it wasn't the blood that scared him, it was the terrible hungover look he had on his face. A scowl coming out quietly, he raised his shirt a little to see if it was a big wound, there was a medium-sized cut down his hip, not a bad cut but it'll defiantly sting for a while. 

  
The phone started to ring loudly, almost falling off of the sink countertop. Arin caught it before it could hit the tile, answering the phone and walking back into the living room, slumping on the sofa and starting to speak into the phone.

"What do you need to know?" Arin decided to speak first, starting to look in his pockets desperately trying to find his box of nicotine sticks, starting to panic once realising he can't find them and only found a lighter.

"_W__er_e you talking to Barry? Is that why you took forever?" Ross spoke from the other side of the phone, sounding like he was bracing himself for bad or upsetting news, Arin sighed out with a sympathetic tone, feeling relief once finding his box of cigarettes.

"What part do you want first?" Arin had a pinch of sarcasm right there, lighting a cigarette carefully and sticking it in his mouth, hoping Ross didn't or couldn't hear the lighter click. Inhaling and exhaling a cloud of smoke for a moment before responding.

"I'll stop ya right there. Well, he had me waiting for at least three hours until I finally went outside, he finally came to the parking lot, and uh I almost punched his lights out" Arin explained as if he was reading a book in front of him, coughing slightly from the nicotine hitting his bloodstream, Ross made an audible frustration sound.

"And you didn't, why?" Ross questioned Arin as if he was an idiot, not like he could blame the man, Barry had become a nuisance to them both and it was tireding to even be around him. Arin let out a husky sounding chuckle from the smoke in his throat.

"Cause I knocked my own lights out" A nonchalant reply from Arin, the same husky chuckle coming out again, taking another inhale of his cigarette before continuing on.

"I was going to punch him through his window, but I got dizzy and tripped. Apparently I cut my side open on the fall" Arin had the nonchalant tone again, starting to have a small coughing fit but gathering himself before Ross can get suspicious.

"Are you alright? The guys were worried about you"

_Am I okay? I have a gash on my hip, pounding headache, smoking my life away, and I'm still drunk_.

"Yeah I'm doing okay"

Arin wants to slap himself, but what else is new. He threw the cigarette into the ash tray on the coffee table, now just focusing on his phone call.

"Be careful, alright? I don't want Barry starting to mess with you" Ross had a sound of worry, it was easy to get into Arin's heart, which meant he could most likely be manipulated quite easily. He wasn't proud to admit Barry played him like a fiddle, he's the reason he has a cigarette in his mouth all the time.

"I'll watch my back, don't worry" Arin put on a fake calm sounding voice, when on the outside he was starting to lose himself slowly, not wanting to come into another confrontation with someone's he's supposed to be calling a friend and not an enemy.

"Oh and try not to use those cigarettes too much, will ya?" Ross included one last sentence before hanging up the phone, Arin had a panicked look on his face suddenly, not even being able to respond before he hung up.

_Shit_ _, they must've fell out of my pocket._

Arin slumped his back against the couch calmly, laying down and starting at the white ceiling, even though it was still spinning just a little. Letting out a wheezy sounding cough before checking his phone again, eyeing Barry's contact like a hawk.

He pressed it, growling under his breath once realising what he was about to do, a stupid mistake that might get him in some trouble. But it'll be worth it for all the hell he's been dragged through by this man. This ends now.

"_Meet me at the gas station by 8, you know the one."_

**Sent.**

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	2. Anything you say can and will be used against you.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The start of Dan's downfall. (Prologue Part Two)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This Chapter will contain violence, language, alcohol use, and sexual references and themes.

________________________  
_Act One:Night On The Town_  
_January_ 6th.  
**How Soon Is Now?-The ****Smiths (Song of Choice)**

The bar, a place this man's eyes always drifted to, like a vulture eyeing it's prey. This wasn't a good habit and everybody knew that, but hey, who would turn down a good night on the town? Danny sure wouldn't.

Danny, a rowdy 38-year old who spends most of his nights out with friends at a club or a bar, he wasn't a big drinker but always found himself drunk at the end of the night and in the back of some guy or girls car, it was starting to be worrying but nothing can really stop it.

"How long before you stop forcing me to drive you everywhere?" A man with grey-ish dark hair and beard spoke up, his voice had a particular rough patch to it, in the drivers seat of the semi-large car. Danny let out a loud single laugh, the man didn't seem like he was happy to hear what he had to say.

"i don't force ya to do anything, you're the one who offers" Dan decided to be smart about his words,his fingers fiddling the radio stations until he found a song that suited him best, looking out the window and seeing the city lights lightening up the tall buildings and small mini bars that flooded through the streets.

"I offer because I worry about you" The man let out a disgruntled sigh, sounding more Dan's father than colleague or friend, Dan's smile quickly dropped into a frown, his fingers anxiously twiddling instead of bothering with a reply. He hated to know he caused anxiety on another person.

"I'm a grown man, Brian" Dan started to sound like a child whining with his father for a new toy, Brian sported an obvious annoyed or agitated expression, he was only a few years older than Danny but sometimes it seemed like there was a twenty year age gap between the two. 

"You sure don't act like it sometimes" Brian grumbled without even sharing a look at Dan, his eyes focused on the road and not wanting to give Dan the attention. The younger man grumbled quietly, his arms crossed gently across his chest. He began to give more of his attention to the music rather than listen to Brian's ranting. Which he isn't.

The two remained in silence for a short while, the all too familiar tunes of 80s music playing throughout the vehicle, of course, it was Danny's choice. The man now began to look out the window calmly, he liked to look at the city around him, it reminded him that it was worth staying here, not moving back to New Jersey just because he was homesick. 

He's lived here for many years but he was beginning to become tired of the same old thing, the street noise and the daily routine of staying home and playing strings on a broken guitar, Brian was the only person he really interacted with on a daily basis anymore. But in reality it's almost like a bodyguard situation.

"Are you sure you wanna be here?" Brian cleared the silence and caught the attention of Dan, they were stopped at a red light with a string of care behind them, the younger man didn't seem to put any thought into his careless answer.

"Yes, I'm sure. Why are you so worried about me?" Dan started to sound a little annoyed now, he was a grown man and could take care of himself. _Right_? 

"I don't wanna find you in an alley in the morning" Brian had a blunt sound to his gravelly voice, Dan knew exactly why he worried about this and why it even came to mind in the first place, he let out an exasperated sigh, realising the car started moving again.

"So you don't trust me that I can take care of myself?" Dan was putting words in Brian's mouth unbeknownst to him, his arms crossed again childishly, an infantile man at heart which gives him daily excuses for terrible decisions he makes. 

"Do you really want me to answer that? You know what happened last time, Danny" Brian let a stern sounding tone come out, putting emphasis on the last sentence on purpose, Dan letting out a disappointed huff, a loss for words.

_You're not the most "trustworthy" man, if you can call yourself a man._

Dan let out a sigh, not letting his thoughts get the best out of him, not being able to build up the right sentence of words in his head, they fall down like a jenga tower and turn into a word salad. Dan yanked on his crew neck collar, feeling suffocated.

"Just because it happened once doesn't mean it'll happen again"

_Oh please, knowing you you'll end up in a dark alleyway, or in the back of someone's car and tossed away like trash-_

Dan grumbled in frustration, holding his head in his hands for a moment before realising his surroundings, still in the car with Brian and on their way to a bar. Dan nodded and let out a breath of relief at himself, turning his attention back to his older colleague.

"Trust me this once, please" Dan talked in a calm tone for once, making his pleading loud and clear to Brian, he knew he probably wouldn't trust him but it's worth a shot, the younger man was rowdy and often didn't care about what people said, but Brian was all he had, and he can't lose his only friend

"_Fine" _Brian gave a one word response which left Dan unsatisfied but pleased, he didn't wanna let Brian down after so that's gone on between them, the young man nodded and stayed in silence, not wanting to continue this awkward conversation that bothered both of them dearly.

(Play optional song)

The two remained in silence despite the radio playing a new song filling the air, Dan didn't wanna add anything else into the awkward conversation and Brian didn't wanna keep pushing him, the younger male began to lose track of where he was, not paying attention to much.

_A beer sounds nice- no, I want something stronger, knock me out for God's sake._

Dan was snapped out of his trance once he heard someone yell, right after a car sped out of a nearby parking lot on the right of their own vehicle, the engine revving scared him and made him realise they were close to his favorite bar, his eyes trailed to the parking lot where the loud vehicle and yell came from, tire prints embedded into the cement. 

_Must've been a bad night._

  
Dan didn't want his night to end badly, it'd be the last thing they need after trying to pick themselves back up, a drunken enraged fight isn't needed, it'd only bring bad energy into the already shallow waters of their friendship, it was beginning to become hard to see through the waters

Soon enough he realized the car was in park in a all too familiar parking lot, the male was beginning to wonder if it was actually worth it to get out and end up having another night wasted on petty drinking, is this really worth it? Was it worth the long and awkward drive?

"This better have been worth it, don't get yourself into another shitshow" Brian had a commanding presence in his vocals now, Dan didn't wanna offer a vocal response back, only nodding his head and walking out of the car, shutting the door gently behind him. Secretly praying that he didn't get into a fight this time.

  
"I'll see you in a few hours" Dan said without turning his head, walking straight into the small bar like he practically lived there, the atmosphere was normal like every other day. Guys sitting on barstools and ordering shots, a few people playing cards or pool, bartender had a look on his face like he didn't want Dan here, but who can blame him?

"And what are _yo_u doing here, Avidan?" The bartender spoke up before the male could even say hello, he had a slight faux hawk hairstyle with a noticeably growing beard, Dan knew he was strictly because he remembered the last incident here all too well, he gulped.

"You never told me I can't come back here anymore" Dan wanting to be wise with his words even though he was visibly nervous, strutting his way to a barstool and sitting at the table, either wanting to start a conversation with the familiar bartender or to explain his case.

"Someone obviously didn't get the memo" The bartender wasn't gonna lighten up even if Dan explained himself, but it wasn't stopping the man, he didn't wanna upset Brian or make him disappointed that they drove all this way for nothing.

"Listen, it was one time. One time, and it's not like I _killed_ the guy"

_Great choice of words, _ _dumbass_ _._

"That isn't the point, you don't seem to remember anything that happened after, don't you?" The bartender started to make a good point, Dan only remembered a fight but everything went black after that, and Brian refuses to say anything to explain what he did.

"Just- behave and don't do that shit again, do you understand?" The bartender cut Dan off before he can let a word out, Dan nodded and let out a breath, relief filling his lungs now that he didn't have to get kicked out, getting comfortable on the barstool.

"I'm not drinking that much tonight, get me a beer" Danny now had his confidence flood through his voice, as if he suddenly grew his balls back after he was reassured of everything, he knew deep down that this was gonna be a mistake, but no one's there to stop him now.

"That's what they all say, Avidan" The bartender let out a small chuckle at the man's poorly timed self esteem, Dan didn't quite mind but all he wanted was a beer, _for now_. Because god knows what would happen if he were to get anything stronger or tougher.

_We'll see how that turns out._

________________________________________________  
**_Act Two: You Go Home, And You Cry, And You Want to Die._**  
January 6th.

God forbid, Dan was sprawled out on the wooden floor of the bar hysterically laughing at something he overheard at a nearby booth, people giving him stares and some most likely thinking he's gone insane. The male was in tears laughing over a joke he didn't even understand, but it was just so goddamn funny sounding.

Dan drank more than just one beer, as expected. Six empty mugs lay on the bartenders table with money scattered all over it, the young man obviously way past his limit of alcohol consumption. Brian would be pissed if he saw him now, he wouldve even slapped the "boy"

  
The hysterical laughter began to slowly die down, his hand clutching his stomach as if he was in pain from laughing so hard, slowly sitting up, Dan stated to examine his surroundings. He saw all the stares but didn't seem to care at that moment, starting to lose himself.

He stood up and decided it was a _great _idea to stand on the main poker cards table that no one was using, but now everyone in the damn bar can see him as if there was a spotlight over his face. Dancing to no music that was playing in the small building, there was no music in Dan's head either, but for some reason he just couldn't resist.

His curious eyes scanned across the entire room once more from atop the poker table, starting to laugh again before his blood ran cold for a few seconds. Realizing the man who caused the incident was sitting at a booth far from where he was standing, he was talking to another guy and most likely didn't know Dan was there. The male started to visibly panic, getting down from the table slowly and starting to stumble towards the bathroom.

His vision was slightly impaired but decent enough to guide him around, he stopped once he saw a sink and a mirror, turning on the semi-cold and semi-hot water and splashing himself in the face with the cold and warm liquid, shuddering and almost falling over a few times. He dug his hand into his pocket and found his phone, observing the current time.

**12 AM.**

_Brian should be picking me up soon, god I hope he's early for once._ _ I don't wanna be here._

Dan was beginning to sober up from the fear starting to make him panic, he left the bathroom slowly and observed his surroundings like a scared animal, scattering to the front door and running out, falling onto the sidewalk for a moment. Taking the air out of his lungs before he sat up on the concrete, waiting to see Brian's car at any moment.

From how much hysterical fun and drunken behavior he was starting in a span of a few minutes and very few beers, and how quick it died off just because he spotted someone was frightening, is this how much power this person has over Dan?

He didn't even wanna think about this man, it gave him chills and made his hands hurt just thinking about the _incident. _The blurry vision was starting to get the best out of the young male, thinking every car that passes by was Brian's car and he was here to rescue him from that man.

Dan was starting to wonder about the trip over here, it really was worth nothing, he had fun for a short while but now he's scared and waiting for someone to pick him up like he's a scared child waiting for his mother. _For shame, for shame._

_What would your mother think of you now?_

Dan shuddered at the thought, there are starting to become thin and cold as he started to get tired of breathing it in and out, shaking and curling up in a ball on the sidewalk. His eyes getting heavy as he slowly fell asleep on the hard concrete.

...

_Why did you let him do that to you?_

_They pinned the blame on you, but they didn't know what happened outside the bar._

_I hate him._

_I hope he rots away in h-_

"Dan?! What the hell are you doing on the sidewalk!?" Brian's angry and confused voice started booming and echoing throughout Dan's ears, scaring him awake and forcing his jelly legs to stand straight up, he already knew Brian was disappointed.

"_T-take me home" _Was all the drunk and panicked man could stutter out, stumbling his way to his side of the car and already jumping in, his entire body visibly relaxing once he laid in the passenger seat, everywhere around him starting to spin.

Brian got in the car and began to drive, Dan can tell he was asking questions but couldn't even register what they were, he was spaced out and couldn't see straight so there was no point in trying to communicate back, curling up in a ball as best as he possibly can.

The car ride was exhaustingly long to Dan, it wasn't even that long of a drive last time but now all he desperately wants is to see his apartment complex, it wasn't a luxury place but god, it seems like heaven to him right now, anywhere away from the city.

The same song from earlier was now playing throughout the car, it was oddly comforting to Dan who was starting to calm down from his trembling, still not hearing a word Brian was trying to tell him or ask him, he rather talk about it when sober and not freaking out.

Minutes seeming like hours passed before the car made a stop in front of the now blurry mess of a apartment complex in Dan's eyes, mumbling a incoherent sentence to Brian as he stumbled out of the car, somehow not tripping over himself on the way up the stairs.

He busted through his door and shut it loudly behind him, holding onto a wall for leverage and forgetting how his rooms were mapped out, soon enough tripping into his bedroom, crawling into his bed and blankets and curling up in a ball.

He wanted nothing more than to forget this night and the _incident._

The night wasn't worth it.


	3. Chainsmoker.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part Two of Arin's Prologue, more and more of his past starting to unravel beyond his control.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains Violence, Blood, Drug Use And Alcohol References, Vulgar Language, Pill Usage.

_________________  
**Act Three: ****Fuckup**  
_January 7_t_h_  
____________________

_what the _ _fuck_ _ have I done?_

The sound of a frantic bottle shaking filled the silent room, Arin was scattering in his bedroom like a roach in the spotlight, his heart racing at 90mph at this point, the man throwing anything in his way as if he was trying to locate something. He had a pill bottle in his left hand and eventually found another bottle in his bedside table.

He calmed down for a moment to inspect the labels, starting to have a coughing fit while mumbling the names of the pills, the cough starting to sound more raspy and heavy the more it continues. Arin, now panting- Sat down on his couch and shakingly started to read the bottles.

_Prazosin_ _, zoloft.. I can't breathe._

Arin groaned and opened the bottles with his trembling hands, shoving two capsules from each bottle into his mouth and swallowing them dry, tossing the bottles aside and trying to catch a break and rest his diaphragm. He grabbed his phone and dialed the all too familiar contact, still out of breath.

For some reason, he thought it was a good idea to click open his lighter, scrambling to grab a stray cigarette on his coffee table, lighting it up and inhaling the fumes. Waiting for the contact to pick up the phone already as he sat there with a nicotine stick in his mouth.

"I fucked up, I don't know what to do, ifuckedupifuckedup-" a mess of words including a cloud of smoke came out Arin's mouth immediately before the contact can even talk, his hands were becoming steady but still swaying back and forth slowly. His ribcage starting to rise after being caved in.

  
"Calm Down! What happened?!" A panicked Ross spoke from the other line, Arin let out a few more raspy and rough coughs, gathering himself after unravelling in a span of a few seconds. He took in a breath of air and began to explain himself, keeping the nicotine in his mouth.

"I'm meeting Barry tonight and I don't know what to do" Arin spoke calmly even though his heart was still racing, he heard an exasperated sigh on the other line, not knowing if that was good or bad but not ready to hear whatever rant Ross was gonna give him.

"What were are you planning to do?? This can only end in shit, you idiot!" Ross raised his voice by a tad, making Arin jump out of his skin and almost drop his cigarette, catching it in his hand-successfully burning himself. Arin was expecting the incredibly dire consequences when announcing this, but not to this extent.

"I had to, I had a urge and I couldn't help it!" Arin had a weak defense against an angry friend at this point, he had every right to be angry over this stupid decision but Arin felt like a scared puppy now that he was caught in the act, taking another drag.

"Arin, please. This isn't gonna end well at all and you know that" Ross calmed down for a moment, sensing the panic rising in Arin's voice. He could hear the man sigh and stay quiet on the line, which didn't help the situation.

"I have to do this, I'm sorry" Arin's voice had a somber touch to it now, tossing his cigarette in the ashtray and laying back on the couch, he knew exactly what he had to do to save his sanity-if he has any left anyway.

"When are you gonna meet him?" Ross lightened up and seemed to accept Arin's fate, he had a fear that things would go south, but that doesn't matter anymore. Arin fiddled with his fingers for a second in ponder, grabbing a hold of his thoughts.

"At eight, I got a few hours to get ready" Arin started to feel the stinging and irritating pain of the small gash on his hip, letting out a wince and sitting up so it wouldn't hurt as bad, taking a quick swig of a glass of water placed on the table.

"I'll text you before I go, wish me luck" Arin cut off Ross before he can reply to his last sentence, just wanting to get out of the awkward conversation already, he hung up and threw the phone across the table. Head in his hands and letting out a long annoyed groan. Somehow he can already sense he's gonna smoke a pack on his way there.

Arin was now stuck alone with his thoughts for god knows how long, the loneliness in the apartment always bothered him, no one around and no one accompanying him at any moment. It was dark and gloomy or full of smoke half of the time, he never was a drinker but for some reason always hoped someone would drink just enough to keep him company.just

It was 12:00 PM, 7 hours until he had to get going, this was gonna be misery and he can just feel karma waiting patiently to strike him in the jugular. The sun annoyingly leaking through the curtains started to get rid of the depressing aura. Arin didn't like it.

Arin _likes _to sulk.

He likes to bask in his misery or trauma just so he didn't feel too "fixed" from his doses. Perfect was... too good of a word to him, it's too complimentary for someone of his kind, it made him uncomfortable to be considered "okay" or "feeling better" from his doses, cause it's only the meds who made him "feel better" not his own decision-making.

The meds make him stable enough to keep going, but if he's too stable he'll purposely break himself down.

His friends see the happy-go-lucky personality whenever he's hanging out with them, but when he's home he's downing pills and smoking cigarettes to keep his broken mental state repaired enough for the moment, just so he could tear it down again later.

_The poor broken fool._

_________________________________________  
**Act Four: Sirens.**  
**January 7th.**  
**7:35 PM.**  
_______________________________________

_Time to go._

Arin was standing in front of a nearly broken mirror in his apartments bathroom, he was wearing a dark grey hoodie with some beige pants he found somewhere in his closet, cigarette already prepared in the corner of his lips, lighter in hand. He bandaged up his side so it doesn't bleed through his hoodie, it'd attract too much attention.

He walked out of the room and started leaving the place, walking down the semi-long flight of stairs down onto the parking lot, following the concrete aligning the streets passively and starting to light the nicotine stick. He had this liking to smoking and taking a walk, especially at nighttime, it was quiet and no one's gonna judge him.

It was dark out and usually that'd make him uneasy but right now he's "fixed" temporarily because of his pill intake earlier, and he feels at peace just because he doesn't wanna deal with his trauma right now, not when he should be on guard for Barry. He needs to be in top condition.

He kept walking and taking drags out of his cancer stick that he happened to be addicted to, his heart starting to pound once realizing the gas station is in his view now, _this is actually happening, this is actually happening._

_Now's not the time to freak _ _out,dumbass_ _. Stay calm, you're gonna regret seeing Barry in this state of mind._

He shook off his thoughts, making his way to the quiet and calm gas station that he's been to many times for cigarettes or snacks, he leaned his back against the cold wall as he waited to see the familiar car pull up there, it was nerve wracking how he had to wait.

Arin nearly jumped out of his skin once he heard his phone go off, he dropped his cigarette to the concrete and stomped it out, grabbing his cell phone and reading whatever message he received. He swallowed his anxiety and began to read it to himself.

"**Not there, go to the parking lot right in front of it." **

Arin knew this was real now, he didn't bother replying and began walking across the gas station that he was planning on spending some time in, but he ended up in said parking lot after a few seconds. He stood in the middle of it and began to look around, not seeing the car anywhere.

The anticipation was making his hands clench at nothing, panicking and grabbing the cigarette box, fidgeting and grabbing another cigarette, shakingly grabbing the lighter and setting it ablaze. He let out a sigh of relief as he stuck the items back in his pockets, his hands still shaky as if he was near a panic attack, but he didn't allow himself to have one. The parking lot wasn't empty and there was people crossing the sidewalk, the presence of people was making him paranoid.

The all too familiar car engine sounds now flooded the slightly full parking lot, his heart starting to overpump it's self again too many times, he now saw the car pull up into the space in front of him, the engine turned off and the car door opened.

_Fuck_ _, it's real._

Arin took a long drag in preparation for whatever he was about to deal with, Barry stepped out of the car and approached the smoking man, he already let out a scoffing laugh, crossing his arms and leaning against his car, making almost direct eye contact.

"_Chainsmoker_, eh?" He spoke tantalizingly already at the broken man, Arin chuckled out a cloud of smoke in his general direction, not wanting to forget his snarky and sarcastic attitude to this man he oh-so hated so much within his soul.

"It keeps me sane, and prepares me for whatever shit you're gonna pull me through" Arin knew to pick his words wisely and calmly, a smirk on his lips as he held the cigarette inbetween his fingers, he was loving that the smoke was starting to annoy the man, it pleased him to see the man agitated.

"Oh, so those pills don't work enough for you?" Barry hit Arin in his weak spot, making him let out a annoyed growl with offense showing on his face, he scoffed and threw the cigarette down, making sure to stomp on it harder than before. Barry had the advantage of knowing how to hurt the broken man, while Arin didn't know how to hurt him back.

"You're the damn reason I'm on these pills" Arin growled out through his teeth, his hand starting to clench and grab at the air again, his heart was calming down but now his brain was starting to race, what does he do now? what does he attempt? Shit, what now?

_Stay on topic._

"I don't wanna be around you anymore, I'm tired of you manipulating me" Arin bravely stated as he stood his ground for once in a lifetime, Barry had this impressed look on his face with a shit-eating grin now plastered on his face, Arin wasn't prepared for whatever he had to say.

"Look at you, tough guy. Didn't know you had it in you anymore" Barry wasn't done with his sentence but Arin could already feel the words he was gonna say next, his heart started to pound with anticipation and early rage as he had to stand there and wait for the god forsaken words.

  
"Thought you used all your courage that _one night_. I guess I was wrong" Barry remained with the same smirk on his face as if it was stuck like that, Arin was starting to fill up his bloodstream with rage and adrenaline, he didn't want this, no, not now.

_Not. Now!_

_"_**_Shut your _**_**fucking**__** mouth" **_Arin's voice starting to rise, as did his anger. His fists clenched tightly as he started to attract attention from random people walking down the sidewalk or coming out of the gas station behind them, Barry was well aware of it and began to use it to his advantage, unbeknownst to Arin.

"Hey calm yourself down, I don't wanna be your next _victim" _Barry struck a nerve that was hidden feel inside Arin's memories, everything just went out the window in his brain. He was poking the bear, and the bear has had enough.

_Don't!_

"**Fuck you!"** Arin yelled out and all things were forgotten, his blood was pumping with anger and nothing could stop him now, practically pouncing onto Barry and starting to ground and pound as if he knew how to fight-which he didn't. Barry was making a struggle and starting to yell out to grab anybody's attention, even though he wasn't in any real fear or danger.

Arin still began to swing left and right to try and land some damage on Barry, the man stopped him in his tracks and threw one jab at his eye, throwing him off and onto the concrete, kicking Arin in the side where he had the gash. Making him groan out in pain as he tried to get to his feet.

He stood up and realized he was now in a fight, surrounded by people walking by and noticing the commotion, this started to scare him, but he still defended himself and threw another jab at Barry, it landed on his jaw and made him stumble for a moment. Arin thought he could have a moment to breath but Barry took another shot at his nose and another jab at his mouth. The enraged man groaned out in pain and shock, not being able to gather himself after thinking he could take this fight.

Arin took a weak and random punch at the man to throw him off, another jab at his jaw just be can back off, he was surprised to see Barry fall on his back onto the concrete from the punches, but what Arin didn't realize was somebody was dialing three digits into their phone, reporting the fight. Barry was faking the fall so it seemed like he was powerless.

Arin took a moment to catch his breath, breathing harshly and then immediately pouncing onto Barry on the ground and starting to punch at him again just from the pure adrenaline starting to seep through his paranoia and fear, he couldn't hear the person on the phone.

"_This is what you __fucking__ deserve!" _Arin screamed out again, full of agony and pure exhaustion of dealing with this man's manipulation and tactics to make him feel lesser, all his anger and resentment being unleashed into Barry like a storm that was waiting to happen.

"**I hate you!" **Arin yelled out one last time with his pure aggression showing, throwing a few more punches until he was pleased and started to get tired, Barry was actually effected this time and was bleeding from his lip and got a few small cuts, he was obviously hurt but starting to laugh at Arin, catching the man off guard.

"_Can you hear the sirens, __Arin__?" _Barry spoke coldly with the smirk on his face returning, Arin was frozen immediately, stopping his reign of fists and looked around at his surroundings, he saw the person on the phone now. He realized who they called.

_He can hear the sirens._

_And he can see the red and blue lights flashing in the distance, coming closer to him._

_"Well, can you?"_

_________________________

_A/N: _hey guys, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, I'm sorry that I kinda rushed it out but i just couldn't wait any longer. And I have to announce that I will be taking longer to update after Dan's chapter because I will have to do more research. But in the meantime please use my tellonym https://tellonym.me/AestheticGrump_WP and ask me questions about the story or what i plan on doing with it, It'd be appreciated. Thank you for reading, hope to see some tells from you all ♥️

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Send me tells and questions. https://tellonym.me/AestheticGrump_WP


	4. Derailed.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part Two of Dan's Prologue, he's being haunted by past memories and something's not right..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains Violence,Blood, Vulgar Language, Sexual References, and Alcohol References and Use

______________________  
**Act Three: ****Alone**  
**January 7****th**  
**10:00 AM**  
**______________________**

_It's too early._

Dan didn't sleep very much that night, he only slept around three hours after being curled into his creaky and uncomfortable bed for god knows how long. His thoughts combined with the situation happening just a few hours before was keeping him up.

All of the events made him anxious for whatever can happen next time he goes to that bar, if that piece of shit still goes there, what's gonna happen? He's gotta notice Dan at some point and lash out or try and taunt him relentlessly.

He's becoming an insomniac the more nights he worries about things that stay in the past, he doesn't have any actual mental problems wrong with him but he has a tendency of worrying about the wrong things, Dan being the life of the party that he usually is can become exhausting fast.

Soon enough after his moments of sulking, a loud noise rang through the small and dimly-lit room which made him nearly jump out of his skin, it was his cell phone, Brian was giving him a call. Most likely a worrisome or angry checkup. 

"_What?" _Dan groggily answered with a rough, tired sounding tone to his voice. He didn't really talk to Brian about the whole situation and the fact he didn't remember whatever the hell he was trying to tell him in the car ride home.

  
"Damn, I can't just see how you're doing?" Brian had a sarcastic/surprised tinge to it, he was there for Dan's outburst and wanted to make sure he was all there after, saying as how Brian was there for the first fight as well, and Dan doesn't even remember it.

"Right, I'm sorry. I didn't sleep much" Dan cleared his throat and began to wake himself up, forcing his body to comply with his brain for just a moment for a simple posture change. His lack of sleep was made obvious through the grit in his voice and the stiffness in his bones.

Brian let a drawn-out sigh seep into Dan's general hearing over the phone speaker, seeming upset or even possibly disappointed, Dan decided to prepare himself for whatever earful he was about to endure.

"Listen, I was just checking on you after your "scene" last night. You seemed one step away from a panic attack and I don't even know what happened to you" Brian explained and seemed rather calm after all that happened last night, Dan was trying to put together a sentence but his head was just blanking each time, he took in a deep breath and began to speak.

"I saw him there at a booth, I needed to leave, i-it just didn't feel right if I stayed there, he didn't see me but it wasn't worth the risk of staying" Dan stuttered just a tad during his sentence and began to leave his bed, heading to his small living room and slumping onto the couch lazily.

"I was waiting outside on the curb for you so I could go back home, it felt dangerous for me to stick aroun- no, not dangerous.. Awkward more like" Dan continued on and stumbled over a few words clumsily, in his head it was a scary moment that could've ended in him getting jumped, but in reality he was safe as can be.

"As long as he didn't see you, you should be fine, Dan" Brian kept the same tone but added a hint of sympathy into it, he knew how stressed out Danny would get because of the "incident" and knew how dire things could turn, but he can't lie and say Dan would exaggerate _just_ a little.

"But what if I go again and he sees me, Brian? What am I gonna do??" Dan managed to get himself in a panic in a manner of a few seconds, again, he doesn't have any mental issues that he's _aware _of, but has a tendency to overworry or try and predict his own misfortune.

"Danny, please hear me out this one time, you're gonna need it, okay?" Brian was about to begin some sort of monologue or "words of wisdom" moment, Dan sighed out quietly and relaxed, waiting for whatever his colleague was about to lecture him on.

"You need to realize if he doesn't know you're there, it won't hurt him. He's not just _looking _for you everywhere, he's not gonna hunt you down, you're just paranoid. You need to let your guard down. Hell I'll even.." Brian found himself trailing off, sighing and continuing.

"I'll even tell you what the hell happened that one night" Brian finished his sentence and waited for Dan to respond, Dan was almost flabbergasted to say the least, his older friend refused to say what happened for the longest time, and now he can finally find out.

"I thought you said you'd never tell me?" Dan simply remarked without wanting to start an argument or make Brian backtrack the conversation. He heard the older man chuckle slightly and mutter a quick "no" before continuing on.

"You see,Dan. This douchebag doesn't seem to wanna chase after you, we both know what he did to you.. Anyways, he left you behind, you dwelled on it, a week or two later I drive you back to the bar. You end up getting drunk and losing your composure, and you just so happened to spot him there" Brian paused for a quick moment, Dan was listening in closely and gulped away the lump of anxiety in his throat.

"You.. understandably lost your control and got angry, going up to the guy and starting to cause a scene by yelling at him about a whoole bunch of things. I was in the parking lot and rushed out to see what the hell you started, just to realize your drunkass started fighting him" Brian includes in the conversation, Dan remembered everything beforehand but the fight that took place, he didn't have much wounds on him so he could only assume he emerged victorious.

"I had to take you out of there so no one called the police or got you banned, you didn't do _that _much damage on the guy but a bar fight is a bar fight, you need to stop worrying about it" Brian ended his "confession" of some sort, he knew Dan was gonna have trouble responding but he felt it was better off for the younger man to know.

"Brian, if I beat him up isn't he gonna wanna get revenge on me? It doesn't make sense for him to back off" Dan felt uneasy realising he blacked out during a fight and will never know how much damage he's truly done to him or himself.

"_Possibly, _but he didn't attack you last night did he?" Brian made a good point, Dan was overworrying and thinking about situations that don't matter or things that most likely won't ever happen, but that was his speciality after all.

Dan let out a sigh and began to sit up on his semi-comfy couch, the sun was starting to shine his eyes and it wasn't exactly comfortable to lay there and ponder about his issues, he began to look around and wanted to either grab his guitar or write a few things down.

"No, i-I was safe.." Dan stuttered again just because he felt stupid from reacting in such a dire need of help when he wasn't in any danger at all, it was a "bitch move" in his eyes now that he got further information, letting out a breath of air.

"I'm sorry for overreacting, I gotta learn to rethink everything" Dan sounded sympathetic for some reason, wanting to hang up already but waiting for whatever his older colleague had to say, he was slightly hungover so it didn't help much.

"Its okay, I'll keep in touch and let you heal from your hangover, just don't overworry about shit, it'll get ya killed one day" Brian ended the call right after, Dan let out a sigh of relief and threw his phone on the table in front of him, moving over and grabbing a light-brown acoustic guitar that has a few missing strings.

He didn't know how to actually _pla_y the thing but it kept him busy and kept his many many thoughts at bay for just a moment, the strings sound somehow off-balance or out of tune from how many of them got cut or broke over time, it stayed hidden away in his closet for years and after so long it just started waring down.

Curiously his fingers struck at the worn down and ripped apart strings, it felt uncomfortable but it gave a nice enough tune that Dan was playing from memory, copying a random melody he heard on the radio the other day as best as possible. But again, he doesnt know how to play.

It was a day all to himself so god knows what else he'd end up doing in a day, spending the afternoon strumming ripped strings would most likely keep going on till midnight, the headache he has was starting to throb and ache for as long he heard noise. He left the guitar on the floor just to see if it'll lighten up. It didn't.

He groaned in annoyance and buried his head into his arms and prayed that the lack of light would maybe help the pain go away, but hangover headaches don't exactly lighten up in a few seconds.

His headache eventually went away, but his anxiety lingered around longer than it needed to.

__________________  
**Act Four: Blackout.**  
**January 14th**  
7:00 PM.

_Why the _ _fuck_ _ did I decide to do this._

It had been a week since he was randomly flicking at broken chords, now Danny's losing his mind in his apartment and throwing empty beer cans at the wall, he's enraged and drinking most likely old beers in his fridge, and then flinging them whenever he feels like.

He's maybe drank about eight off-brand beers he doesn't even remember buying, drunk off his ass and rambling on to himself in an empty and dark room, his legs are trying to hold him frail body up but we're beginning to be too wobbly.

Brian was already gonna pick Danny up and go to the bar he always ends up at every week, unbeknownst to the older man, Dan was already drunk off his ass and pissed off at random thoughts in his head, and he wasn't ready for whatever the fuck Dan was gonna rant to him.

Dan groaned and stumbled over to his door, opening it aggressively and slamming it behind him, finding it a hard task to walk down the small staircase to get to the lot, secretly hoping for himself to fall down them just so he could get sense knocked into him.

Something in his mind was pissing him off and it was a drunken "myth" for lack of better word, he's believing something that he isn't real, and his current anxious thoughts were adding fuel to the fire, the alcohol being the gasoline.

In his mind he believed once he got to the bar, he was gonna _find _that guy and keep him a piece of his mind, whether that means a nice talk or a brutal beating.

Dan slumped onto the sidewalk curb as he waited for his colleagues car to come into his view, the wind was freezing but he's not that aware of it, everything was spinning around and time it's self was becoming hard to remember. 

_What the _ _fuck_ _ am I doing?_

_This is for the best, I'm not gonna get tormented by this _ _shit_ _ anymore._

_No, no, I can't do _ _thi_ _-_

** _Yes_ ** _! I can!_

"Dan?? What are you doing?" 

Danny snapped out of his trance in an instant, he was apparently asleep on the sidewalk for a few minutes or longer, his thoughts being the only thing that kept him from passing out fully, he laughed awkwardly and began to stand up, supporting himself by holding onto the wall next to him.

"S-sorry, I guess I got caught up in something" Dan tried to chuckle softly out of this situation, keeping his balance steady and following Brian over to the car, who seemed concerned and suspicious about the whole ordeal.

"You've been drinking already, the hells gotten into you?" Brian questioned to the younger man in the passenger seat-whom is still closing the door cause he's still off-balance. He continued to try and laugh it off awkwardly and very drunkenly.

"No no no, l-listen, I just got a little c-carried away with my p-prepping" Dan wasn't making sense of whatever he's trying to say, but Brian knew if he left him home it would piss the rowdy man off and he probably wouldn't talk to him for a few days, as it's happened before.

So Brian had to bite his tongue and drive him anyways, in his gut this was a terrible idea but there was nothing else to do, secretly he prayed Dan would just fall asleep in his seat and he could sneak him back home. But, Dan is too furious on the inside to fall asleep again.

  
Dan was on a mission and didn't plan to fuck it up this time, there was an awful pit in his stomach and felt like he wanted to throw up at any point but nothing is gonna derail him. The drive was gonna be for maybe ten minutes and all he wants is for time to go by faster.

It took a lot of composure to hold in his nausea and dizziness or letting any of it show on his face, the moving car was helping very much but again, _nothing _is gonna stop him or distract him. These thoughts were stupid and unneeded but he doesn't realise it yet.

Dan is planning how things are gonna happen and how exactly he's gonna make an entrance, it's an idiotic move but his childish or petty side was starting to seep through after all these beers and anxious thoughts made a cocktail he never wanted.

After stopping his vengeful thoughts he realised they weren't far from the bar, he was starting to childishly excited as if this was a special event that only comes once a year, his view turned to the right, he remembered that was the place where the car came speeding out the week before.

_I wonder what happened to that guy._

He got rid of the thought once he realised their car was getting in an empty space in the little bar that he loved so dearly, seeing the damn place made his eyes light up and instantly got out of the car, almost falling over in the process.

"Hey, be careful! don't get kicked out" Brian called from inside the car still, he knew something was awry just by the younger mans behavior and how he didn't talk at all in the car ride, he wanted to stay parked there for just a little more, watching Dan closely as best as he could.

Dan stormed into the little place, his eyes scanning around the place like a damn hawk, the bartender seemed to jump out of his skin at the sudden door slamming open. The drunken man walked around and took a look at the booths.

Everything was normal, his plans were already starting to crash down so he decided to sit on the barstool, building his composure back up with a small burp as he did. He kept looking around like he was paranoid of something but started to talk.

"i-I only need one beer, 'm waiting for someone" Dan slurred and threw his ID on the counter to the bartender he didn't recognize, just wanting to make sure of everything. He didn't know Brian was still there and watched over him from the car cause he just _knew _this wasn't a good idea.

_One beer, that's it._

_____________

_Four beers down, I guess that was a lie._

Like in classic fashion, he broke the "one beer" rule and was even more toasted than he was before, unaware of whatever was being talked about around him, but knew damn well it's only been twenty minutes or so, and he monitored the door every second.

Brian decided to park the car in another space that isn't in Dan's view so he doesn't realise he never left, realistically he should've left already but it just didn't feel right, the younger males not in the right condition to be left alone till Brian makes it there, so he decided to stay.

Dan was starting to black out, the excess amount of alcohol in his system most likely enough to cause poisoning or a terrible hangover, so of course he gets another two and downs them all in just a few minutes, he's totally gone mentally now.

_I need to go home.._

_No! Not yet, I'm not leaving until I do what I need to do._

Dan sighed and began to catch himself forgetting what he planned for the first place, zoning out for a few good minutes, his eyes not monitoring the door or anywhere else as he almost fell asleep, holding onto consciousness stronger than anything before.

Snapping himself awake he looks around again, back around to the booths clumsily, tripping over his feet but retaining his balance, his eyes view once more.

_Bullseye!_

_Wait don't!-_

Dan grumbled angrily and grabbed one of the empty mugs that he drank from, storming back over to the booth area and ignoring the bartenders yells, his eyes on the prize.

Brian could hear the yells and rushed out of the car, slamming the door and running in the small bar, already bracing himself for whatever is going on, running past the people starting to rush out the door, spotting Dan with broken glass on the floor and his fists raining down on the guy from before.

In Dan's perspective he was giving himself justice, but his thoughts were yelling to stop what he was doing but it's no use, punch after punch wouldn't stop even though people were trying to pry him off the man, Brian specifically. This made Dan regain some attention to those around him but it still didn't do anything to stop his motives.

Blood was starting to drip onto the floor and adding onto the mess with the broken glass near the man's head, he was grunting in pain and trying to fight back but to not much avail, Brian starting to yell so it could try and get Dan to regain his state of mind.

But it was too late, Security was called.

And Dan had another black out.

___________________


	5. Vulnerable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arin finally finds his way to Jail and starts to spiral out of control. Danny makes it to jail and meets his new cellmate, Arin himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter will contain talk of violence, vulgar language, drug references, and talks of addiction, sexual themes and implied nudity.

_______________  
**Act Five: Caged**  
**January 7th**  
**Time Unknown**  
**________________**  
**Make It Rain-Ed ****Sheeran (Optional)**  
**Wait To Play Song.**  
_______________

_What have I done.._

Arin was dazed and confused in the back of a police car, the blue and red lights reflecting off of the concrete that had been stained with blood, his lip was stinging and felt a bruise most likely gonna form soon on his face where he got punched, his thoughts were a mess and couldn't even realize what was going on.

He can overhear Barry talking the officers outside the car, his rage rising just at the sound of his voice, already knowing he's lying to the cops from the sly fake tone of his voice, Arin could taste blood in his mouth from the single punch he received, his throat closing up and starting to make him have a coughing fit. Spitting out a small amount of blood.

Ross told him this was a terrible idea, his own brain said this was a terrible idea, but he still went and now he's in the back of a police car spitting up blood on the seat. The stubbornness of Arin was what ended up trapping him, and now theres no way out.

Listening to his former friend manipulating the officers outside the car made him sick, the lengths he was willing to go just to get Arin in prison and away from him and society. A growl escaped his vocal chords and had to control himself from breaking out the window and attacking Barry all over again.

He had to sit idle and listen to whatever lies he was feeding the cops, Arin wishing he could get out of those handcuffs and desperately smoke a cigarette, the stress starting to eat away at his thoughts and drive him insane, it took everything in him to not bash his own head in.

The officer that was closest to the car began to open the drivers door, scaring Arin whom was in the backseat-starting to shake ever so slightly whilst his hands trembled, making the cuffs create a clinking metallic sound repeatedly. Arin not being able to tell if he's close to a breakdown or having withdrawals.

Arin remained quiet, not in the mood to make conversation or even mumble a introduction to the man in the drivers seat, he isn't even sure what the officer may even think of him, what did Barry tell them? hell, they could be thinking he's mentally unstable.

_Well, they wouldn't be wrong I guess._

The car began to drive out of the lot, Arin looked out the window to see the blood on the concrete starting to darken at this point of time, scowling internally at Barry still talking to another policeman as the car began to take off. He wanted to scream and break anything in this sight.

He could feel himself starting to lose his composure the more he spent time in the car, hiding his shallow and stuttering breathes so nothing makes him have a panic attack. Chugging down his meds earlier in the day saved him from having a breakdown. But now he's terrified of what tomorrow will be like.

_I'm going to jail, I'm going to jail, _ _fuck_ _, _ _shit_ _, what am I gonna do.._

So immersed in his own thoughts and anxiety he didn't realize he was starting to lose his composure, his hands trembling again with the fear starting to take over his body, his meds can't hold everything back after all, so a nervous breakdown could still emerge.

"Hey! Calm down back there, I don't think either of us could afford the new guy having a breakdown" The officer spoke with a monotone voice, most likely not even caring about Arin but just doing his job, the man in handcuffs let out a huff and began to hide his anxiety, on the inside thanking god that someone distracted him from this.

Arin kept his head positioned to be looking out the window and paying attention to the street, looking at anything else made him lose composure and he really couldn't handle having a panic attack in the back of a police car with handcuffs on.

"_Sorry, sir" _Arin managed to choke out with a calmed tone, he didn't expect to hear a reply but it was worth a try, right? His manners didn't change despite his current predicament and that's what's special about him, he's broken but didn't forget where he came from.

The car became uncomfortably quiet for the anxious man, changing his gaze from the officer to the window once again, the familiar streets making him feel at ease, remembering all the times he's been to the random fast food places and stores along the street corners. The liquor stores that he swore to himself he would never visit, the boxes of cigarettes in convenient stores he always said "no thanks" to. He thinks back and wants those days more than anything else, when he was a "good sport" and didn't drink or smoke.

He let out a sigh and remembered his birthday a few years ago, surrounded by his friends and only drinking a cup of soda or water whilst the others drank a beer or cocktail. Now his most recent birthday, he was drunk off his ass, almost puking in the parking lot, smoking a few cancer sticks cause his lungs _begged _for it, and nearly got in a fight with his friend.

_What a life I lead._

Arin let out a sad sounding chuckle, his demeanor changing as if he realized something, the way his life changed in a span of a few years was depressing the hell out of him, happy and having fun with his pals, a few years later he's out drinking and smoking a whole pack of cigarettes cause he's addicted to the way it makes him feel.

He drank, smoked, what else is he missing? He's lucky he didn't end up being too drunk to realize his surroundings, and getting in bed with random strangers. Lord knows that would've been a disaster..

_If it happened again._

Arin chuckled to himself, a sly smirk coming upon his lips and staying there for a moment, he knows what he's done and seems quite proud of it, losing track of time and spacing out for a minute. The next time he looked out the window, the car was coming to a stop at the jail he never thought he'd end up at.

A sigh escaped his throat when realizing this was all _actually_ happening, surprised his emotions didn't get the best of him and cause a breakdown or the floodgates to open. The handcuffs were really starting to irritate his wrists now that he paid attention.

Starting to zone out as usual, Arin could hear the officer talking but it was all muffled at this point and he couldn't care less what the man was saying. Starting to have a small coughing fit that sent his lungs into a strong spasm, sending him right back into reality which made him look around like a crazy person. The car door to his left was open and the officer was trying to yank him out of the car.

He complied and started to get himself out of the uncomfortable seat, the officer beginning to lead him into the building whilst Arin was starting to dissociate. His gaze stuck to the ground the entire time and not hearing whatever the man had to say, he preferred it that way.

_How am I gonna survive in a prison? This isn't gonna work._

Arin's thoughts began to scramble immediately, still being led by the officer but not sure where he's going, the air was thick with tension and the sound of shoes clacking against the ground started to irritate him. But he still kept looking down, afraid of what'll happen when he looks up.

The officer has him sit down in a small room, Arin can only assume it's a holding cell of some sort, it was only big enough for a bed-like bench and the door. He sighed and sat on the already uncomfortable seat, waiting for whatever he was gonna get told.

"Stay put, I'll be back in a second" The officer informed right before he walked out the room, shutting the door behind him and leaving Arin alone with his thoughts. He sighed and carefully laid against the bench so he has a perfect view to stare at the ceiling.

Things were starting to spiral all over again in his mind, what were his friends gonna think? Ross is gonna lose his damn mind, Matt and Ryan would be confused as all hell, Barry.. would be proud of what he's caused, he's knows what he caused.

_What __**h**_**e **_caused_?

Arin bit his tongue, it wasn't Barry that started this particular fight, Arin lunged, Arin started yelling, Arin texted Barry to meet up with him. It was all himself, and he's in a state of denial. Feeling like someone kicked him in the gut over and over, burying himself six feet deep.

He's been manipulated and controlled for almost two years now, driven to nicotine and booze just to cope with whatever damage Barry inflicted upon his psyche and self-worth. The thought of it in general makes Arin's stomach turn, he groans annoyingly and continues to stare at the ceiling, paying attention to the boring pattern.

It's just beige, no other colors and no other markings, just beige paint slathered across a ceiling with a small light in the middle. It's boring, plain, and simple. But he just seems to not be able to take his eyes off it, a hypnotic boring pattern.

_Get used to it._

____________________________  
**Act Five: Blur**  
**January ****14th.**  
**Time Unknown.**  
**____________________________**

_What the hell did you do_?

Security surrounded the small area, blood staining the wooden tiles that most likely wouldn't ever disappear, chunks and shards of broken glass across the floor like a modern art piece. Danny wanted to admire it all the same.

Reality sinking into the younger man as he looked into the eyes of the man he wished would go to hell, seeing fear and pain in his hazel eyes and blood in his badly dyed black hair. It was far too late for Dan to take everything back, looking around to see Brian tugging at the collar of his shirt to drag him off the guy, security immediately grabbing a hold of him once the older man let go.

"What are _you_ doing here?!" Dan had an underlying aggressive and uncaring tone in his voice, being yanked back by security while he only paid attention to Brian, whom had a look of guilt plastered upon his face. Dan was too drunk and too dizzy to know what's going on around him, only able to see people with shock in their eyes or running away from the area like roaches in the spotlight.

The younger male not sure what even do about the guards aggressive and hard touch on his shoulders, holding him back until the police arrive even though he had no plans of escaping their vice grip, Brian couldn't even find the words to respond to what he asked, deep down knowing something like this would happen but having no idea if would happen so fast.

The nausea was almost too much to bare, wanting to throw up and run away from this place and never look back, tired of looking at the man on the floor with glass and blood starting to embed into the wood, the scene used to look like a masterpiece with no flaws, a new picasso. But now all he sees is a crime scene, the evidence to use against him, the witnesses. Everyone had eyes on him, this isn't how he wanted it to happen.

"I'm sorry, Dan" Brian muttered out while leaning against the wall, seeming like a disappointed father whenever he looked at the younger man, and this feeling didn't sink into Dan's heart cause everything was too flooded by booze and blind rage. Regret trying to seep into him like a poisonous virus through his veins, but nothing was letting him feel this.

"_Don't" _Dan responded coldly, emotions flaring up and disappearing every few seconds from the booze getting stronger and weaker, Brian turned his head, staying in his position with arms crossed and waiting to hear the god forsaken sirens get there already.

Brian didn't know why Dan was being so emotionally damaged or corrupted, feeling uncomfortable to be the one watching his downward spiral right before his eyes, and he's the one who drove him here. Who's fault was it really?

Lights began to light up the dark and depressing parking lot, one police squad car pulling up into the lot whilst the witnesses stared, it didn't effect Dan very much even though he sees the men coming to arrest him, he doesn't feel much right now. He turns and looks back at the guy on the floor, he was presumably laying there so Dan wouldn't attack him again, some tough guy he is. A bigger, buffer guy being beaten by a frail man in his late-30s.

He scoffed, watching the officers come in the building and the guards starting to drag him forward, scraping his knees on the wooden floor. The bigger officer, with sunglasses and a 5 o'clock shadow grabbed Dan by the shoulders, dragging him down and pulling his arms behind his back.

Nausea coming and going every few seconds for the man, feeling the cold metal start to entomb his wrists while listening to the officers speak to him, unable to speak back due to the fear of vomiting or talking nonsense. Somply nodding whenever they asked a question.

He was close to passing out at any moment at this point, the large amount of alcohol in his bloodstream starting to _really _kick into full swing. Dan was forced to stand up and was being carried out of the bar, Brian followed closely as he had to watch someone he called his best friend being thrown into a police car.

Sorrow and empathy was written all over his face, like a sad puppy in the corner of a room after being yelled at, and Dan was fully aware of that. He didn't know what to feel for Brian, anger? sympathy? hate? The thoughts were too much to handle, the earth spinning around him as if someone spun a world globe, barely registering he was now shoved into the backseat of the car.

The older man stood there watching the whole thing go down, angry and disappointed with a large hint of guilt, feeling as if it was fault for this even happening, driving Dan here even though he _kne_w it wasn't a good idea after he was already drunk and acting odd. _Thi_s was his fault.

The car began to drive off, Dan looked out the window to see Brian standing in the same exact spot he himself was in just the week prior, who would've thought it would go from anxious and scared waiting to be picked up, to being picked up in a police car whilst his only friend watched on.

Dan watched Brian until he was completely out of sight, his heart aching at the thought of his so-called best friend blaming himself for the whole fiasco, this wasn't anyone but his owns fault for starting such a quick and sudden fight, especially at a semi-crowded bar.

The familiar streets began to fade away slowly, concrete streets now a unknown blur as Danny fights away the urge to pass out in the backseat and pray he'll wake up in his in comfortable bed in that shitty apartment, and drink more off-brand beer that tastes like rancid piss doused in sugar.

But he already knew waking up in his house wasn't gonna happen, he's gonna wake up in a small, cold cell with an ugly colored jumpsuit on. He couldn't even feel the handcuffs anymoee at this point, starting to go numb in his hands and feet as the world still spun around him.

Dan turned his eyes away from the streets, the streets speeding by him starting to give him nausea. His gaze stuck to the floor of the car as he tried to fall asleep to make his drunkness go by faster, instead starting to get absorbed into his anger ridden thoughts.

_Why does Brian care all of a sudden? He's the one who drove me!_

_He's my only friend, I can't use lose him. _ _W_ _hy did I do this?!_

_Asshole_ _! W_ _hy would he take me here!?_

Dan contained himself, noticing the driver's concerned gaze in the mirror as his drunken rage and confusion began to seep out of him quite fast. This knocked him back into reality as the car hit a small speedbump, sending his stomach into oblivion and his brain back in place for a quick moment.

He took a glance out the window to see if he recognized the streets, he couldn't tell where the vehicle was heading or where it was currently at, being hypnotized by the night sky, Dan didn't remember it being so dark when he originally got to the bar. But it has to at least be midnight at this point, how long was he at the bar??

His brain immediately went back to whats actually happening, _jail. _Dan gulped nervously, the alcohol making the fear not sink in all the way, figuratively, his tail would be between his legs and would be trembling if he wasn't heavily drunk and a step away from passing out.

Dan sighed and sunk into the uncomfortable seat, letting sleep eventually come to him and take his confused and angry soul away just for a few minutes, anything that'll make him feel at peace even if it doesn't last long. He's on his way to hell and wants to feel safe until then.

Not knowing how far away the jail is, he lays his head against the hard material of the backseat's headrest and closes his eyes. The darkness was comforting instead of the world spinning out of control around him, slowly he drifts off into a slumber that won't be disturbed, sleep easing him into safety.

Atleast, _for now._

**_____________________**  
**Act Six: ****Home**  
**January 7th.**  
**Time Unknown.**  
**_____________________**

"Anything else I'd need to know, Hanson?" 

Arin was now standing at a desk where an officer stood next to him, Arin now sporting a bright orange jumpsuit with some simple shoes, he hates it. The officer is a different guy, scrawny with a small goatee dealing with all of Arin's information patiently. Ink still starting to dry on Arin's fingers, paying close attention to the world currently surrounding him.

_Oh _ _shit_ _, I forgot._

"Uhhh, yeah. I take medication" Arin mumbled loud enough for the guy to hear, fear slowly starting to sink in once realizing he _might _not get to keep his prescriptions, meaning he might have a total downward spiral at any given second. 

  
"What kind of medication, sir?" The officer asked once more, he had a southern accent that was starting to show as he talked. Arin stood awkwardly with his elbows on the desk comfortably, swallowing his paranoia for the moment as he sighed quietly, disappointed that he _has _to have these pills to function.

"Prazosins and Zoloft, 25 milligrams for each, prescribed by Dr Tucker Prescott" Arin was brave for once and most likely only for a few more seconds, the officer shot him a weird look and scanned him up and down like he was checking something, leaving Arin confused and a little nervous.

"And _why _do you need them, sir? What do you use each of them for?" He asked and proceeded to scribble on a notebook on the desk, Arin froze and started to feel the word salads come up his throat in fear, chuckling awkwardly and letting out a thoughtless hum.

"Prazosin for b-blood pressure, Zoloft f-for depression" Arin snuck through a big lie and small truth, stuttering inbetween sentences as he was now lying to the police, giving a blank look on his face with a tiny smirk on the corner of his lips. Clever little shit beat around the bush and got away with it.

The officer nodded simply as he continued to scribble, not taking much notice to Arin's hands slightly shaking or twitching. Arin had at least fifty different ways in his head that he could get caught for lying, his doctor could say something for gods sake! His ass was for sure in danger now, the police would have to get in touch with his doctor cause he's the one prescribing them after all. 

"Alright, we'll be contacting your doctor within the next few days, you're in the clear" The officer patted Arin on the shoulder which made him flinch a little, nodding quietly and staying leaned over the desk as if he was stalling for as long as possible.

Arin wanted to stall even though it wasn't gonna accomplish much, the officer grabbed him by the wrist and started to lead him down a new hallway, sending Arin's brain into overdrive once knowing where he's gonna end up, reality kicking him in the ass for the second time that day.

The officer lead him to a door, opening it slowly and revealing a pretty big room with at least ten or fifteen dorm-like cells in it. All the inmates were sitting at tables and conversing about things Arin can't hear. He gulped as the officer left and shut the door behind him, leaving Arin there in an _actual _jail now, by himself and not knowing anyone there.

Arin knew his cell number cause he was told it once he put on his jumpsuit, as he began to walk to it, he noticed something he didn't remember hearing about. There was _two _beds here, one on each side respectively, they looked hard and uncomfortable to lie on.

_It'll be fine, you're only here until your court date, relax._

Arin sighed quietly, not wanting to deal with talking to new people—he decided to go into his cell and just rest his head, letting out a groan instantly once feeling the "mattress" that felt like a ton of bricks. Deep down he prayed if he got moved to prison there'd _at least _be better beds. 

The thought of using the phone crossed his mind but it just didn't feel right this fast, it's been may be three or four hours since him and Barry's violent altercation, what would Ross think of him now? Arrested and awaiting a trial that most likely won't go too smooth.

Barry for sure had to have used something on the cops, spoon-feeding them fabricated things about Arin and probably calling him "unstable" but it's not too far off from the truth. Arin assumes they would've put him on watch it they considered him dangerous or insane, so that's out of the picture.

All Arin wanted to do was think of possibilities and stare at the bland wall, it'll make him feel like he's in a secure place without any danger at all, a happy place of some sort. Imagining the boring wall like an empty canvas ready to be painted something new and beautiful. Something _peaceful._

It's a nice distraction for him, ignore his problems and his surroundings and pretend he's in a fantasy world where nothing can go wrong and anyone and everyone is a saint, _everyon_e is a saint. _Everyone?_

This stole Arin out of his makeshift heaven on earth, thoughts suddenly turning selfish and thinking all about himself and his sins, too few to count and too many to gather. _Sinner? Maybe. _Everyone makes mistakes in their lives, it's normal and you learn from them. But what if you never learn?

Arin's thoughts fully absorbed by self destruction and regret now, his happy place vanishing and crumbling like a piece of paper, the boring wall back to normal and his head definitely back to normal. He wasn't happy about his life decisions, things went downhill fast and he's done _so _many things he regrets.

_Sinner._

__________________  
**Play Song Now**  
**Make It Rain-Ed ****Sheeran**  
**________________**

  
Arin didn't wanna think like this anymore, it ruins him and breaks him down piece by piece, limb by limb, the way his own mind worked against him was something he never knew was possible until Barry started playing his tricks on him, leading him along and digging his fingers into Arin's vulnerable brain and heart, like a psychopath dissecting him until everything that used to be good was now damaged.

Something evil is inside of Arin, deep down within his core there's evil and malicious intentions, although they most likely will never come out, they're always gonna be there no matter what. Bad memories haunting him like spirits attached to an abandoned house. _Every _detail remained.

_No, no._

Arin shook his head and rubbed his temples aggressively, as if it'd help him get rid of whatever things on his mind, like a magic trick of sorts. But he knew it wouldn't work, scenes would be flashing before his eyes repeatedly right now if he didn't down those pills. Those pills fixed him temporarily.

The images that flash almost repetitively in his mind felt like a waking nightmare or sleep paralysis while awake and able to move, but thinking your surroundings are real and an adrenaline rush through your body as if these things were happening in real time. And it was fucking terrifying.

Arin groaned softly with annoyance in his tone, he had to keep awake and keep moving in this temporary house for a few days at least. He doesn't know for how long but it feels like it's gonna drag on until the court date hits, and god knows what'll happen on that day.

His gaze turned to the tables outside his room, at least six people having chats and laughing to whatever jokes were being told, Arin could hear a muffled tv and what sounded like a sports game of some kind, not like he's familiar with any.

The idea of talking to new people—especially inmates made Arin uncomfortable and anxious, he doesn't know what they're like and who knows they might not even like him from the way he instantly went to his cell instead of doing an introduction or something.

_A bit dramatic, much?_

Arin huffed at his ridiculous exaggerations, the only way to find out if it were true was to talk to the people himself, but he already knows that's way out of the question. Strangers made him apprehensive and nervous from his anxieties, which isn't really breaking news to him.

Instead of pondering about what the people may be talking about, he looked at the telephones again and wondered if he'd be able to use them or not, most likely needing dimes or quarters but that's not possible as he got everything on him taken off during the search. Literally and figuratively.

He wanted to tell Ross about the news so he wouldn't think he got killed or something similar, and so he can be sent stuff in prison if it really came down to desperation. The police probably wouldn't allow him cigarettes or a lighter, which sucks. But at least he still might getting his meds.

Arin sighed and lied his back against the slightly cold wall, taking in his surroundings fully aware and a little terrified of it, things can quickly get out of hand and that idea was starting to harass his brain relentlessly, it wouldn't hard to upset him.

It wouldn't be hard to unleash something within him.

_________________  
**Act Six: Sober**  
**January 14th**  
**Time Unknown**

Dan wasn't sober enough to realise whatever is happening around him, he just knew he's in an empty room with a bench and nothing else in it, the world stopped spinning a while ago but the effects were still in play. He was shivering quietly from the shower he had to take once he got taken in.

Being drunk and nude in front of a cop wasn't exactly what he planned for the night, especially showing in front of the same cop, embarrassment starting to takeover once realising he probably made a few_ comments _from the liquid courage in his belly. He groaned and hoped nothing actually happened, but knowing him it wouldn't be a surprise.

He was going to be called up for fingerprinting and all that stuff in a few minutes most likely but he's lucky he remembered how to even stand up, the booze was starting to leave his system and Dan couldn't be more happier, he didn't wanna be known as "the guy who went to jail drink and flirted with a officer"

Dan was going to scoff it off and laugh until realization hit him like a semi-truck, _Brian. _All the attitude he knew towards his only real friend crushed his heart like an ant, he didn't even have reason to be mad at him but the booze and then the aggression just changed his mindset completely. 

There was definitely gonna be some tension whenever he gets the chance to call him or possibly even see him on visitation, maybe even show up at court for some sort of emotional stability. Is that even possible? Dan didn't know anything about jail or courts but he just hoped he can see or talk to Brian and apologise for being a dick.

On the other hand, Dan's hoping his attack got him banned from that rinky-dink so he wouldn't ever get the chance to show up and repeat the same thing once he's out of prison, not to mention everyone would probably recognise him as the aggressor "that one night where a fight happened"

Dan hit the guy with one of the many empty mugs on the bar table, just bashing him over and over until it broke and then resorted to using his weak and bony fists to continue the attack, it was a cowardly move but it was for the best.

_Was it really?_

He sighed, no, no it wasn't necessary at all for it to happen ever. But at least his mind was eased about the bastard now that he gave him a piece of his mind, even though it got him thrown into jail. It felt worth it to Dan, proving that he can defend himself and be victorious. Maybe not the best way to prove it.

Dan pondered and started to wonder about how this new life was gonna be like, most probable was stressful and or dangerous with inmates he's never seen before, just his luck he's not gonna be in a "risky" prison or jail, it's the most tame one there.

The door to the empty room opened loudly, a officer with a more chubby like build to him walked in, a beard as if he's never seen a razor in his entire life and dark green eyes. Dan instantly stood up once seeing the man, slightly intimidated by his somewhat ragged appearance

"Come on,sir. It's time to get your information ready" The man said with a lighter voice than Dan expected to hear, he nodded instantly and began to walk with him outside the room, Dan most likely would miss the silence and plain emptiness in the room once being transported to his cell.

__________

"Is that everything?" Dan asked curiously with ink still running down his fingers a little bit, his mugshots, fingerprints, and extra information taken just a few moments ago by this slightly scary man, the officer hummed simply but didn't quite answer yet.

"Just one more, got any medical or mental health issues I should know about?" He asked while not even looking up at Dan, just writing things down and only caring to listen to whatever he had to say. Dan had to think for a moment, would some anxiety issues count? There wasn't really _muc_h wrong with him.

"Sometimes I get anxiety but there's really nothing else I can think of, it might be because I'm-"

"Yes, Avidan. I know you're under the influence" The man sighed and quietly wrote down for a few we ones afterwards, Dan seemed to freeze a little bit, unsure if he should be afraid of a punishment or being drunk or not, would it be public intoxication?

"Don't worry, you'll be fine" The man spoke up again as if he could smell Dan's fear, he let out a with of relief and chuckled to himself as he watched the bearded man get some things together into a folder and then clear his throat rather loudly.

"Alright, you're all good. Come with me" The officer lightly commanded as Dan obeyed, walking to his side calm and collected as he could see the door in front of him down the hall. He gulped nervously as he prepared for whatever is on the other side for him.

They made it to the door, the officer unlocked it but paused for a brief moment, looking over at Dan who seemed slightly agitated and nervous. Even more nervous now the guy paused instead of just walking in normally.

"My names Dean, or Officer Roberts, I'll be the one mainly in charge of things involving your case, thought you should know just in case you ever need me." Officer Roberts included, Dan was relieved it was nothing serious but couldn't help but feel in good hands around this man, seems to know what he's doing.

They walked in quietly as Dan took in his odd surroundings, a few people watching a small tv and a guy on the phone, he walked in just a little further as he found what cell he'd stay in temporarily, Officer Roberts softly grabbed a hold of Dan's shoulder for a moment.

"Just so you know, you have a cellmate. Play nice" Officer Roberts warned right before he walked out the door, looking it behind him and leaving Dan in this unknown territory. Fear immediately came into question as he cautiously walked in his cell.

Dan walked in and expected to see an empty room but spotted the two beds alongside each other, a sink and a singular toilet. His eyes then turned their gaze, seeing another man in a orange jumpsuit occupying the mattress. He had brown hair and brown eyes, a gash on his lip and a growing bruise on his face.

That's his cellmate.

The stranger looked Dan up and down as if he was observing Dan closely, the man's eyes full of pain overshadowed by curiosity and confusion, his bitten and cut lips curled into a small inviting smile, chuckling lightly.

"Oh, s_o you're _my new cellmate?"

_____________________

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: finally it's done! I hope you guys enjoyed it even though the acts were a bit short at times, the next chapter I make is gonna be the end of multiple acts per chapter. Combining Arin and Dan's chapters now that they know each other, and some more music as well. I was actually supposed to mention I was in need of a co-writer or beta reader if possible, mostly for the eventual court scene I have to write.
> 
> Also I'm writing a song based oneshot on here, I'll be posting the link on my Twitter @/aesthetic_grump whenever it's done If you're interested. Anyway, I hope you guys liked it. See you all soon 💓


	6. Hiatus

Hello everyone, I know I haven't updated in quite some time but it's because I've been busy with other stories same I haven't had the motivation to even finish a draft of this anymore. I'm sad to say I'm putting this on indefinite hiatus and I won't be sure when I'll pick it back up.

This story will be revamped and less rushed whenever I have the time to write it, so chapters will most likely be removed and reuploaded whenever they're done with, so keep an eye out for that in the next few months.

Hope you all could understand, follow me on Twitter to keep up with updates and news on how my stories are going at @Aesthetic_Grump

Thank you guys.

**Author's Note:**

> Authors note: This is an incredibly dark and upsetting story, it isn't the typical happy ending story either. I hope you all tune in and join me on this journey even though it's gonna be a long and bumpy ride. All trigger warnings will be at the start of the chapter and all songs for chapters will be written into the description or notes. Thank you.


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